On August 21, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the first residential complex in Kalbajar, where they inspected the living conditions created in individual and multi-story buildings and met with the residents who have relocated there, APA reports.
The head of state delivered a speech at the meeting.
Speech by President Ilham Aliyev
- Dear natives of Kalbajar, welcome to Kalbajar!
It is a historic day in your lives today. You are returning to your native land, to your hometown after 32 years, and I sincerely congratulate you on this occasion. We have restored justice, we have regained our rights, and today's event shows again that the Azerbaijanis are a strong-willed people. The Azerbaijani people are attached to their native land, and despite all the difficulties, not only did we refuse to lose faith during the occupation, but each of us, the entire nation brought this sacred day closer with every day.
The government has created wonderful conditions for you here. The city of Kalbajar is now becoming one of the most scenic cities in the world. You have already been provided with homes in the first residential complex, but the construction work does not end there. In the near future, your relatives and friends will come and settle down in the next residential complexes, the foundation of which I laid today. The construction of four residential complexes in the city of Kalbajar is planned within the framework of the first stage of the Great Return Program. More than 10,000 people will live in these buildings. Of course, all the necessary infrastructure projects have also been implemented. Electricity, water and natural gas have been provided, roads have been built, and mine clearance has been carried out. A beautiful school is now under construction in the city of Kalbajar and it is scheduled for commissioning next year. However, this school year, the children of Kalbajar will study in a modular school.
It is a historic day today also because the largest district of our country, Kalbajar and the city of Kalbajar, are coming back to life, life is returning here, and I am sure that you will live here comfortably. You deserve that. For many years, you lived in difficult conditions: in tents, in adapted buildings, kindergartens, dormitories – in various places. Your life was very hard.
The occupation of Kalbajar was a great tragedy for all of us, as indeed was the occupation of all other Azerbaijani settlements. However, the occupation of Kalbajar created immense problems for Azerbaijan from a strategic point of view because a geographical connection was about to be created between Armenia and the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. The occupation of Shusha and Lachin in May 1992 had already created that connection, and the road called the “Lachin Corridor” at the time had actually paved the way for the future occupation of our lands. The occupation of Kalbajar, on the other hand, had created a geographical connection between Armenia and the former “Nagorno-Karabakh” over a very large geographical area, thus laying the groundwork for the occupation of other Azerbaijani lands. Unfortunately, the then Azerbaijani leadership, pursuing a policy of treachery and betrayal, was unable to protect our native lands. The occupation of Shusha and Lachin in May 1992 was possible as a result of the betrayal of the Popular Front and Musavat duo, which was striving for power at the time. Our impregnable fortress Shusha was almost handed over to the Armenians.
The contemptible duo took advantage of this and came to power a month later, precisely drawing on the tragedy of Shusha and Lachin, unable or unwilling to protect your native lands.
The occupation of Kalbajar in early April 1993 was precisely the result of the evil deeds of the then treacherous leadership. We all remember those days too well. The protracted negotiations did not and could not yield any result. Because, first of all, Armenia had no intention of returning an inch of our lands and joined the negotiations simply for the sake of visibility. Instead of resolving the issue, the three countries - France, Russia and the U.S - were working to freeze the conflict. As a matter of fact, they were going out of their way to give the Armenian occupation a legal guise. That is why the conflict was not resolved peacefully. Had serious sanctions been imposed on Armenia at the time, had the occupying authorities been punished by the great powers, of course, Armenia could have returned our lands peacefully and, I am sure, it would have. There was simply no pressure on them. On the contrary, all opportunities were opened for them. Some countries gave them free weapons worth billions of dollars. The cost of the weapons the Armenian army received from abroad, which we destroyed in the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terrorist operation and took as military booty, amounted to approximately 5-6 billion dollars. Of course, Armenia did not have the money to buy so many weapons. All these weapons were given to them for free, for the purpose of continuing the occupation, for the purpose of ensuring that Azerbaijanis could never return to their ancestral lands, for the purpose of ensuring that this conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan was not resolved peacefully. I have said this many times, and this is absolutely true. I had to participate in these negotiations from 2003 to 2020. I said that the countries that had the mandate to resolve this issue actually wanted to perpetuate the occupation. One provided weapons, another provided political support and the third one provided other privileges. That is why the issue was not resolved. It might have seemed to someone that the Azerbaijani people would come to terms with this, but I had repeatedly said that we would never come to terms with this issue. I had said this when I was elected President in 2003, I had said this many times in subsequent years. Not only that, we were bringing this sacred Victory Day closer every day, every hour. We built a strong economy, exposed Armenia internationally as an occupying state. Many leading international organizations had to accept our position as a result of our efforts. We created a strong army, purchased the most advanced weapons and educated a young generation. That young generation gave their all in the Patriotic War and liberated our lands from the enemy. May Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace. We owe this Victory to them, to the tens of thousands of Azerbaijani soldiers and officers like them.
The Azerbaijani state and the Azerbaijani people united like a fist. And we forced Armenia to sign the act of capitulation in a matter of 44 days. The 44-day Patriotic War is our glorious history. We were moving forward every day. Not a single person abandoned the battlefield. There was not a single deserter. In other words, this shows the high qualities of our people. This demonstrates that all our people and the Armed Forces were prepared to die for the Motherland. According to their own assessment, there were 12,000 deserters in the Armenian army. When the Patriotic War ended, most of Kalbajar, Lachin and Aghdam were still under occupation. However, as a result of the act of capitulation, we forced Armenia to return these districts to us, and it had to do so. In other words, Kalbajar was liberated without a single shot being fired. You, the people of Kalbajar, know the terrain and climate of this region perfectly well. I also know very that well, because I have been here many times. In previous periods too, I had passed through the Murov Pass, the Omar Pass.
A military way of liberation of Kalbajar at the end of 2020 – winter had already begun – would have resulted in huge losses. Of course, we would have liberated it because we had almost crushed the Armenian army by that time. But they had strong defensive fortifications. At that time, Aghdara district was not under our control. The only way was from the Murov direction, and I repeat, we could have suffered huge losses. Therefore, history showed again that the cessation of the war on November 10, 2020 was the most correct step. However, at that time, part of our lands were still not under our control. From that time until September 19, 2023, our main goal was to fully restore the sovereignty of our country. You remember that history perfectly well, both the elimination of the so-called Lachin corridor and the transformation of it into the Lachin-Khankendi road, the establishment of a checkpoint in the Lachin direction on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and, at the same time, the capture of important strategic heights from November 2020 to September 2023, the Farrukh, Girkhgiz and Saribaba operations – all this was our glorious history and part of our consistent policy. Of course, we could not say a lot at the time, there was no need for this. However, we were moving towards the goal of leaving not a single separatist on our lands. Separatism must be nipped in the bud and uprooted, and we did exactly that. As a result of the anti-terrorist operation that lasted only a few hours, the separatist junta signed an act of capitulation. It signed a document reflecting the alleged collapse of the fake republic.
For us, September 19-20, 2023, are just as glorious and historic days as November 8. Since then, the Azerbaijani people have been living in peace and, I am sure, will continue to live in peace. You know that the Armenia-Azerbaijan reconciliation process has almost been completed and the documents signed are fully consistent with our interests. We have achieved what we wanted, the contemptible Minsk Group is living its last days. In fact, it did not and could not do anything. However, it existed legally, and now its end is looming large.
We are also the authors of the peace agreement with Armenia, and our position has always served as the basis for drafting those clauses. The fact that this document has been initialed actually puts an end to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. At the same time, an overland connection with our historical homeland of Nakhchivan has also been secured. From November 2020 until the last few days, we have been persistently keeping this issue on the agenda and making efforts to achieve this goal in various ways. And finally, we have achieved it. Armenia has already taken on this obligation, and I do hope that we will be able to travel from the mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan by train and car in the next few years. At the same time, this will not only connect the two parts of Azerbaijan with each other, it will also become an international transport corridor. Several transport corridors pass through the territory of Azerbaijan now, and this, of course, enhances the importance of our country. There will be another corridor going in this direction now. The construction of the railway to Zangilan is already well underway. It will probably be completed next year. We will now fully modernize the railway in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The construction of the railway is also planned on the territory of Armenia. In other words, Armenia has also taken on this obligation, and this is yet another historic success for us.
The Azerbaijani people have once again shown their greatness at the highest international level. The new realities we created as a result of both the Patriotic War and the anti-terrorist operation have been recognized by the world. This was also very important because after the Patriotic War and especially the September 2023 operation, Armenia's sponsors, various countries and circles launched a campaign against us – punishing Azerbaijan, imposing sanctions against Azerbaijan and other efforts were clearly visible. True, none of them were implemented. We have very strong partners, and our position has always been recognized as a fair position within international organizations. Because we fought a war on our own soil. We did not occupy the lands of any country like certain countries, we did not carry out ethnic cleansing, we did not destroy the cities and villages of any country. We fought on our own soil, defeated the enemy and restored our territorial integrity, also on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions. However, despite this, the countries that patronized Armenia were constantly acting against us, and the documents signed in Washington, the world's number one office, put an end to all those efforts.
In other words, the world, the international community has fully accepted our Victory and new realities, and this in itself is a historic event. Because it is no secret that the great powers that supported Armenia both during the occupation and during the war have always created and could create major problems for us. Our strength, the unity of our people with the government, our military Victory, the mood in society, the spirit of patriotism – all these factors have shown the entire world that everyone must reckon with us. Those who do not reckon with us will regret it in the end. The Armenia- Azerbaijan war, the Patriotic War and the post-war period have shown this, and today's realities are also evidence of this.
Azerbaijan is a country with dignity, a strong country. We would not advise anyone to even think about doing something evil against us. At any rate, there has been no other country in the world over the past 80 years that has won a victory as complete and absolute as Azerbaijan did. You see the processes taking place in the world now. Clashes, wars and war crimes are taking place in various parts of the world. But no one has won a complete victory. Wars continue to cover a larger geography and will probably continue to do so. These political developments show this. We are the only country. We are the only people who have won a complete Victory, an absolute Victory. We forced the enemy to sign an act of capitulation. At the same time, Azerbaijan is the guarantor of peace.
We exacted our revenge on the enemy on the battlefield. We once again showed the greatness of our people. We did not do to them what they did to us. However, what they did will never be erased from our memory, including the war crimes committed against the people of Kalbajar. The genocide, the Khojaly genocide, the hostility, enmity and brutality against our people from other regions will never be erased from our memory, and nor should they. I am saying this both as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the country that won the war and as a participant in the peace process with Armenia, with a defeated Armenia. We do not want war. We want peace. But that bloody history should never be erased from our memory. We should never be deceived by sweet words and we should always be vigilant. Of course, our Armed Forces are on guard of the interests and security of our state every moment, every day. We are watching, seeing and will detect all possible sources of danger. We are building up our military capacity. After the Second Karabakh War, we have increased the number of our special forces both in Caspian Sea and in all other armed forces by thousands - I don't want to specify the number, but it is a large number. New commando forces have been created.
The most modern unmanned aerial vehicles and new artillery systems have been brought to our country. Now contracts have been signed for new combat aircraft, while the existing aircraft have been fully modernized. We must be ready for war at any moment. Because the processes in the world are going in such a direction that it is impossible to predict what may happen tomorrow. We ourselves are the guarantor of our security – the government, the people and our Armed Forces. Therefore, if someone's sick mind decides to commit a provocation against Azerbaijan, I think they will regret it again. From now on, we will live as a victorious people and a victorious state.
Our job is to build. They have destroyed all our cities and villages. There was not a single safe building left in the city of Kalbajar. There was not a single building left in any village of Kalbajar. It was mere barbarity. It was an inhuman act, and it was done not by one person, not by 10 people, but en masse. They should deal with these issues and see what kind of society Armenia lives in. The society that made looting its main source of income during the years of occupation. This society is sick, and I am saying this openly. I do not want to insult anyone. What had we done to them? What evil acts had we committed to deserve such brutality? Entire cities and villages were destroyed, mosques were destroyed and desecrated, people were murdered, killed and burned. Even after the Second Karabakh War, they asked us for some time through mediators to collect their belongings. And we even gave them time. What did they do? They burned everything and cut down trees. How can a person do this? After all, it was not only the leaders of the separatists who did this. They did it en masse. In other words, we must know who we are facing and who our neighbor is. We must never forget our past and be on the lookout. I am sure that all these factors will enable us to always have the upper hand. I am saying this again, we declare it as a victorious people. We will not forget that evil and brutality. But we do not intend to wage war with anyone from now on. If we face a threat, then everyone will still see our iron fist. Our meeting around these beautiful buildings today is also greatly symbolic. They destroyed this place, but we built it. And I congratulate you on this occasion again. Live here comfortably! I wish you good health and the best of luck. Thank you.
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President Ilham Aliyev: Does anyone want to say a few words?
Resident Jalil Aliyev: Mr. President, Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief, very esteemed Mehriban Aliyeva, we are greeting you on behalf of the people of Kalbajar. Welcome to our native land! We carefully follow all your speeches, we like and applaud them. You are at the center of all these events. We are grateful to you once again. We know that the people of Kalbajar, that Kalbajar is a land of ashugs, a land of poets. That is why our beautiful poet Sujaat wrote this 32 years ago:
Sujaat, what can we do, such is luck,
Don't be sad, time solves all.
One day with smiles it shall return,
Kalbajar, which once departed in tears.
You are the cause of all these events. Thank you. Thank you very much and always be there for us.
President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you.
Jalil Aliyev: We must always rally around. We must be one. We must be unite like a fist. We must complete the “Great Return”. As our daughter Hokuma said, everything will be fine. Thank you again.
Resident Fenare Sadigova: Dear Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Mr. President, our beloved Mehriban Aliyeva, dear guests and compatriots. Today, after many years, I am greeting you with great pride in my native land, in Kalbajar. You are skillfully and decisively continuing the policy started by our great Great Leader despite sleepless nights and stressful days. You have written the history of Victory that is unparalleled in humanity. You have regained our occupied lands, Mr. President. You have signed a number of very important agreements. We are proud of you. We are always with you. May Allah rest the soul of our Great Leader in peace for leaving a worthy successor like you. Every time we watch your meetings with presidents on television, we observe your cheerful attitude and eloquence with great excitement and joy – you are a true polyglot. You speak many languages very eloquently, better than their own. We are proud of this. This talent is not bestowed on every president.
Mr. President, I want to make a side note. I do apologize, but my father's soul would not forgive me if I did not say this. Back in 1992, when chaos and lawlessness were rampant, my father, who was an ordinary driver – he was known as a good person in Kalbajar – was very worried about these events. At that time our Great Leader was the Chairman of the Supreme Council. My father sent him a telegram, saying that Azerbaijan was sinking and that he was needed here. When our Great Leader was elected President in 1998, they broadcast my father's speech. Then our President kissed the flag and rose to the podium. He is my father. It is very unfortunate that my father passed away on the day Shusha was taken.
President Ilham Aliyev: May Allah rest his soul in peace!
Fenare Sadigova: May Allah rest all our deceased in peace. The souls of our fathers are happy today. The Great Leader left behind a worthy son like you. Today, my father's soul is also happy. We have fulfilled this dream. Great constructive work is underway in our native Kalbajar, as well as in the whole of Karabakh. You are doing this. We are grateful to you for that. We pray for Allah’s mercy on our martyrs and good health for our wounded veterans. Our esteemed President, we wish you the best of luck in this difficult work and in this activity. We wish good health to your family and yourself. We are always behind you. As you said, “Long live Azerbaijan! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!”
President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. I am grateful for the kind words.
Kalbajar is one of the most beautiful districts in our country. Every time we come here, Mehriban Aliyeva and I look out from the car and say to each other what a beautiful place and what a beautiful view this is. This has no equal in the world. But you know very well that Kalbajar has always been considered a remote district, because there used to be no roads here. A hundred years ago, there were no roads here at all and it was possible to move around only on horseback. The roads that were built here during the Soviet years were very dangerous and narrow. Mehriban Aliyeva and I first came to Kalbajar after the occupation, of course, through the Omar Pass. At that time, there was almost no road there either, it was just a path and it was also very dangerous. But we came across such a spectacular view, which overshadowed all the difficulties. When we came here from Goygol, every time we looked down from the Omar Pass we were fascinated by the scenic views. At the same time, I immediately gave instructions that we must definitely build a modern road from Ganja to Kalbajar. Because, as you know, we could not use the Aghdara-Kalbajar road at that time. This is why the work began immediately. When Mehriban Aliyeva and I arrived in Kalbajar today, we went through the tunnel for the first time, not through the Omar Pass. This is the fifth longest tunnel in Europe. It is our longest tunnel – about 12 kilometers long. There are already five tunnels along the road. We inaugurated the longest tunnel today. True, it will probably take another seven to eight months for its interior to be fully completed. After that, it will be very convenient to go from Kalbajar to Ganja and Goygol. In other words, we are connecting Kalbajar with the western region of our country.
The other road, which we are also building now, is the Aghdara-Kalbajar road. It is the road from Naftalan. That road was used by the occupiers during the occupation. I had come here by that road too. It is also a very uncomfortable road – it is bumpy. This is why we are expanding and repairing that road too.
The third direction is the Kalbajar-Lachin road. Back then, I went from Goygol to Kalbajar and from Kalbajar all the way to Lachin. I had never seen such a dangerous road in my entire life, and you probably remember that road. Now we are giving that road a completely new look with four-lane tunnels and bridges. An international airport has also been put into operation in the Gorchu village of Lachin. We also had difficulty choosing that site. Because we could not find a single flat place in Kalbajar and Lachin to build a runway. There is not a single flat area. But I wanted the airport to be close to both Kalbajar and Lachin. This is why that location was chosen. They were saying that it is impossible to do this here and that we need to cut through the mountains. I said if it is necessary to cut through the mountains, let's do that. I am sure that thanks to this airport, it will become a very attractive travel destination for those coming here. In other words, there are roads coming from three directions, Ganja, Lachin, even from Zangilan, all the way to Kalbajar, and also from Naftalan, Aghdara, Sarsang. There will be convenient connectivity from three sides, and of course, this will create ample opportunities for the revitalization of the region: business people, hotels, tourist complexes. So, we have quite ambitious plans. I have already stated that we are also starting to build cableways. First, in Lachin. You know the city of Lachin well, the distance from the Hakari River to the upper neighborhood of Lachin is quite large. Also, there is a great difference in altitude. The cableway in Lachin will probably be ready next year. The second cableway is Khankendi-Shusha, and we have also laid the foundation of that. The third cableway will also be in Kalbajar. We have also looked at its location. These are beautiful places with spectacular views there. They are a true paradise. But to make this place a paradise, you need to have such wonderful conditions. And we are doing this. Therefore, I congratulate you again. I wish you a happy and healthy life here. Thank you.
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A ceremony to present keys was held.
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Resident Hikmet Shahmuradov: Thank you so much, Mr. President, I express my gratitude and appreciation. With your permission, Mr. President, I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to you. We have always listened carefully to your speeches. We follow you with pride, Mr. President. I know you as the architect of peace and happiness. I am confident that your mission will resonate globally, and humanity will take inspiration from you to establish peace. Our world and our Azerbaijan will live in happiness and tranquility.
Resident Fanare Sadigova: May God protect you and your loved ones. I also express my special thanks for the tunnel, and may you thrive.
President Ilham Aliyev: Now, you can probably reach Ganja from Kalbajar in about an hour and a half. I also want to mention one thing. During the tunnel’s opening today, I gave an instruction. They will now work on it to review the route from Toganali to Ganja, so we can shorten that road as well, because it’s a bit inconvenient. Perhaps not just one, but several tunnels will be built there. If that happens, it will be possible to travel comfortably from Ganja to Kalbajar in one hour or one hour and ten minutes.
Resident Fenare Sadigova: How can we put it—you have made the impossible possible. Thank you for being here!
Mehriban khanim, I wish I could hug you. We love you, may God protect your children, may God grant you a long life, thank you, we love you so much.
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Then, a joint photo was taken.
***12:00
On August 21, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the first residential complex in Kalbajar, where they inspected the living conditions created in individual and multi-story buildings and met with the residents who have relocated there, APA reports.
The head of state then presented the apartment keys to the residents.
